SHORTAGE OF SHIPS.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 3, Issue 232, 22 September 1914, Page 2

SHORTAGE OF SHIPS.

At The Height of The Season.

Serious Export Problem

Producers Becoming Alarmed. New Zealand is at present faced with a very eeriuuj problem, which the Government will possibly find it difficult to salve. In times of peace, New Zealand is served by 52 steamers, fitted with refrigerating apparatus. Thesj vessels each make two and a-half voyages per year, so that the service is equivalent to 125 Bt;amers. Thov arc capable of carrying 12,(104,250 carcases, or 25,208,51)0 boxes of butter in a year, and apparently there are, at ordinary time", only sulllcient vessels tor the purpose of the Dominion's growing export trade. The withdrawal of nine of these steamers, capable of conveyinn nearly 100,000 carcases of mutton at a time between Ihein, will have a v.ry serious elToct on the present season's export trade. Eight of the vessels in question have been secured as transports, and the ni ith—the Kaipara—hai been sunk by a German cruiser in the Atlantic. The vessels to serve as transports are capable ot carrying the following cargoes:— Ship. Carcases. Arawa 1 Jb,600 Athenie 1 Of!, 500 Limerick 01,800 Orari 102,400 Ruapehu 92,801) Star of India 108,000 Waimana 118,000 Hawke's bay 120,000 835,110 The withdrawal of these vessels means that a big gap will be occasioned at the very height of the season. And the real trouble is that the hope of filling that gap appears to be a very remote one. If the cargoes were wheat or wool, or anything capable of being carried in an ordinary ship's bottom, the position would be quite di Hut meat and butter require refrigerated holds, a«d refrigerated steamers are few and far between. Moreover, the litting of a ship with cold storage is a difficult proces?, and cannot be hurriedly carried out. The ships engaged in the Empire's refrigerated cargo trade are as follows: Trade Steamers. Carcases. Australia 07 3,410,100 New Zealand 52 5,041,700 Australia and (or) South America 17 1,490,600 South America 73 G, 133,400 Supplementary, including building 20 1.312,800 229 17,388,600 Small wonJer, then, that New Zealand exporters and producerj are very much concerned. England wants our food and pr.iduce. Now Zealand wants the proceeds. The war has enhanced prices, and the demand is increasing s'cadily. Yet, on present indication", wc will have no Bteamers after tin middle of December to carry nn our export trade. How great i'ic gap will be no one seemi able to definitely state, but it is certain that unless the Government is fortunate enough to charter retriperated vessels at Home, New Zealand, at the very height of its export season, is going to be placed in a more or less alarming position. All ths ships ordinarily employed in the New Zealand trade are still running. ThJ loss of the Kaipara has not deterred the New Zealand Shipplrg Company from sending the rest of its fleet to and fro Tho other shipping companies are also trying to run to time-table. But the eight vessels t) be used as troop* ships must entail disorganisation. Had they not been withdrawn they would, most of tnem, have been nearly home bv now, and all would certainly have been bark in ample time to carry away the new season's produce to hungry British markets. As it is, there is no ceitainty that even when the troopships reach Home they will straightway reenter the New Zsaland trade. It is conceivable that, in view of the money spent in fitting them up as transports, they will be used for some time to come by the Home Government. The position, from a New Zealand trade point of view, is therefore a very serious one.

Correspondence on the subject has latterly been passing between the New Zealand Dairy Association and tbe Prime Minister.

On Friiay a letter was received from the Prime Minister, which stated" This matter haa already received my serious attention. lam hopeful that it msy be possible to provide all the space required for the carriage uf our produce to English ports. You may rest assured that the Government will do all that it possibly can to sec that facilities are providcJ for the carriage of cargoes to the Home market. ' In reply the Dairy Association has informed the Prime Minister that correspondence with the shipping companies does not encourage the belief that all the space required will ha available. "There are reasonable expectations that butter shipments will be cleared up till the middle of December, but unless effective action is taken immediately, it is contended that there will csrtainly be trouble during the summer months, when the production is at its maximum. The only means of relieving gestion, it is urged, will be by charter in Great Hritain or other important shipping centres. Commenting o:i the position, Mr Pacey, manager of tho Dairy Association, says it is an alarming situation. Trade worth millions sterling is involved, and, it necessary, he contends that extraordinary measures should be adopted by the Government and the shipping companies.